Mean Moose struggle to stop Bayfield run game

Alamosa's Cash Mueller (left)and Jose Manriquez (right) combine for a helmet jarring tackle on Bayfield's Trenton Harrison during Bayfield's 38-0 victory on Friday night.

ALAMOSA– Fourth ranked Bayfield’s vaunted passing game came into play, but the Wolverines pounded the ball down the field on the ground while cruising to a 38-0 Southern Peaks League victory over the host Mean Moose to win the conference title with an undefeated regular season.


Alamosa broke into Bayfield territory only a few times over the course of the penalty-stricken affair that lasted well over 2 ½ hours. Both teams drew their share of yellow hankies, but the Wolverines seemed to overcome the fouls and score seven TDs and a field goal.


The Moose kept the game close in the first half, spotting the visitors a 10-0 lead going into the break as Bayfield’s Hunter Killough scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 15-yard scamper at the 2:19 mark of the first stanza.
Alamosa threatened twice in the first half, senior Katy Gallegos coming up just short on what would have been a season-long 41-yard field. The Maroons final drive of the second quarter stalled on the Wolverine 20 after being assisted by a roughing the passer penalty and a pass interference call.


Bayfield added a pair of scores in the third quarter, both on Killough runs, the second coming after a failed fake punt gave the visitors the ball on the AHS 42-yard line to help build a 24-0 cushion. The Moose fake punt came after a Wolverine drive was thwarted when freshman Cash Mueller picked off a Hayden Farmer pass at the three, returning it to the 20 and getting a 10-yard penalty tacked on.


After BHS built a 31-0 lead on a 37-yard dash by Dillon Hilliker at the 11:39 mark of the fourth quarter, Alamosa junior Chad Jackson took the ensuing kick-off back 70 yards to the Bayfield 20-yard line leading to the Maroons’ deepest threat.


Junior quarterback John Lujan, who was spelled by senior Angelo Ramirez after an apparent injury, was at the call when back-to-back personal foul infractions took the Moose to the Bayfield six-yard line. However, the Wolverines eventually took over at the AHS 14.


Bayfield’s final score came on a Farmer to Hilliker 23-yard pass and run with 5:10 left in the game.
Alamosa coach Dillon McNamee told his team after the game that the final score didn’t indicate how tough the battle really was.


“We played tough against a good team,” McNamee said, “and the rivalry between these two teams showed.”
The fourth-year AHS coach said his team had its “ups and downs” this season and had some “high highs.”
“I love these kids and especially the seniors, but this year has been some great experience for our underclassmen.”
Senior Angelo Ramirez, who hopes to play at the collegiate level next year, said “we really came together as a team this year. There’s no other team I’d want to be with.”


He added that he was glad to have four seasons with his teammates and predicted that the Moose should have a great season next year.